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concert photography

What happened to MTV Unplugged anyway? It feels like it just went away. I do remember Alicia Keys and Maroon 5 had MTV Unplugged albums, right? Or was it only Keys?

Anyway, Vampire Weekend on MTV Unplugged.

Does that mean they’re famous? I thought only famous… like household names had MTV Unplugged albums. I really liked Vampire Weekend’s debut, and their sound translates well on this unplugged scenario. But what’s missing? I guess I’m used to really different arrangements. As it it now, they just sound kind of the same.

Check out some clips (6 songs is a full show?) over at the MTV website.* seems like the embedding didn’t work for me.

Freaking bouncers… *note to self* always kick around to get a photographing wristband so bouncers don’t bug. I went to shoot Brett Anderson last night, and well – I actually had never heard of him before I heard he was coming over.

It was pretty good… though I liked the guitarist better. LOL – He was a great subject tonight, and his shots are some of my favorite of the night… which is running long. I really need to go to sleep, but I wanted to post the set =D

I’m sorry I couldn’t get a clear shot of the drummer… no lights pointing at him whatsoever!

I needed some time to find the setlist, which I couldn’t really find so you’ll have to rely on my memory and how it connects the online videos of the concert. Lucky for you, Wikipedia did a fairly good job… I think.

Here’s the songs that were played:

Larger than Life/Everyone/Any Other Way

You Can Let Go/Unmistakable/I Want it that Way

She’s like the Sun – Howie’s Solo

Show me the Meaning of Being Lonely

More than That

Spanish Eyes

Trouble Is

Incomplete

Drive by Love – AJ’s Solo

Panic

Blow your Mind/I Got You – Nick’s Solo

Quit Playin’ Games (With my Heart)/As Long as You Love Me/All I Have to Give

It’s 4.20am, so quit it. I worked hard to get those photos out as soon as I could… over 700 photos, that were reduced to a little over 600, because 100 shots were awful. I managed to get at least 20% useable photos, some pretty good too~

But you’ll see…

All photos are not public yet, only half… but I’m already tired. They will be made public this afternoon. They are about 145 photos. Low resolution… big enough to post online and share via e-mail. If you do, a link back to amy-wong.com ~~ you’d better do.

For bigger resolution, I mean… RAW files~ or big JPGs, email me~ all contact info needed in the following link with the photos…

Another yet “fun” adventure of going around Lima while people look down on you, and treat you with lack of civility and tact. This happens whenever you try to be straight about life, and ask for permits to go on about your business. However, time and time again we’re proven that the nice never get anything done, and that you gotta be crooked to get what you want. Oh yeah, The Damned Don’t Cry.

The concert is tomorrow, but I’ve had my ticket since it went on sale. I’ve been on the search for a press pass, in order to be able to bring my Nikon D70s and a couple of lenses. I am very well aware that in the last few days, Bjork’s been having problems with cameras in her concerts in Argentina and Chile, and it is only because fans with very little respect keep on flashing their cameras while she performs.

The main reason I wanted to get the press pass was to be able to expand my Concert Photography portfolio. It is not often I go to live music events in Lima, because there are few events I feel inclined to attend to. However, Bjork’s one of them. I’ve paid my ticket, and I feel the right to be able to digitally immortalize my attending her concert. But that’s besides the fanatic point of view.

It is clearly stated in the gigOgraphy:

Observe that there usually is a NO camera policy at these concerts.

Yet, that doesn’t stop fans from bringing their itty bitty cameras and flashing her, or using their cellphones to even record crappy footage. This doesn’t stop them fans, but makes it impossible with others with more than just prosumer cameras to do their business properly.

More often than not (at least in North America), you can approach the venue, and ask for their permission… which they will be more than happy to give, even though they have ever-changing camera policy. So knowing that, I approached the venue – El Vertice del Museo de la Nacion – It was a bitter surprise to know that they had given any right of policy to the promoters of the concert, so I was back again today. And since I’m bitter about how it all ended (read the whole story to know) – I will be pointing fingers and calling names! Because I am a snotty-little-brat, and I’ve got an outlet.

So Bjork.com points me to the venue. The venue – El Vertice del Museo de la Nacion – points me to the promoters… I ended up talking to Guillermo Tarrillo, who was nice enough and pointed me to Hernan Val. I ended up talking to Ricardo Excelmes (or however you spell that last name) who told me nicely enough that it was out of his hands, and that I should talk to Press with Elena Vera. They gave me her number, and I called her. The bitter bombastic blow was given by this woman. I called, and asked if it was her in case I had gotten the wrong number… it was her. So I kindly introduced myself as Amy Wong, and told her I had gotten her number through Mr. Hernan Val and Mr. Ricardo Excelmes (??) and said I was calling to inquire about the press at Bjork’s concert, and she sharply cut me off saying:

I have nothing to do with Bjork.

Well, what else can you add after someone tells you they have nothing to do with what you’re trying to inquire about. I tried saying that Mr. Val and the other man had given me this number, but she kept on babbling. “I have nothing to do with Bjork.”

Though, that would’ve been more believable if she had told me that she didn’t know the people I had mentioned… because that’s what usually happens when you’re not involved in something. You don’t know the people.

Anyway, if you are attending the concert, this is the deal. Because of the issues in Argentina and Chile, I was told any types of camera have been prohibited in the concert, and according to Mr. Ricardo, they will be strict about it because they fear Bjork will walk out of the stage. And as much as I like her as an artist, that would be diva behavior to me. But I’m sure there will be people sneaking cameras in, because that’s what they do…

We’re proven that the nice never get anything done, and that you gotta be crooked to get what you want. Oh yeah, The Damned Don’t Cry.